Hospital Adventure / Good News!

Yesterday morning I took Greg in for outpatient surgery and this afternoon we finally came home. It didn't go exactly as we expected but it was a successful surgery and we continue to make slow progress toward a definitive diagnosis.

Two hours after entering same-day surgery, I spoke with the primary surgeon who informed me that the surgery had been successful. The sample taken should provide adequate information for a conclusive diagnosis and we should know results within three to four days. They also inserted Greg's Port-o-cath for the chemotherapy drips once he begins treatment.

I was relieved that everything went to plan during surgery and was told to please wait in room 166 until they wheeled Greg in for a brief recovery period and then we could be released. I waited in room 166 for over an hour and then, upon questioning several staff members from various departments, realized that nobody knew where Greg actually was AND that the entire Same Day Surgery staff had gone home for the evening. Super! My husband was drugged up on a gurney only Heaven knows where and nobody seemed to be concerned except for me.

I finally stepped out of room 166 for about 2 minutes to make a phone call in an effort to retrieve my Sweetie Pie and when I returned to the room he had miraculously appeared. Nobody knows who brought him there or where he was, not even Greg (as he was just coming off the effects of general anaesthesia.)

An hour later, and after a good shot of Demerol for Greg, they informed us that they had orders from the doctor to perform another ultrasound because of a fluid buildup around another lymph node. We waited yet another hour (it was now 10 P.M.) and were wheeled into radiology where he was poked and prodded a little more. (Poor Sweetie Pie!)

They kept us overnight to make sure Greg's pain was controlled and we were finally released around noon today. Greg is up and walking around, eating and feeling pretty well with the assistance of some Lortab. Better living through chemicals, right? This should be the last preparatory operation/procedure before treatment, so hopefully he can rest up for a few more days and feel well before chemo.

In addition to a successful biopsy, the bone marrow samples came back negative so the cancer has not spread to the bone. Also, this morning we learned that none of the lymph nodes outside of Greg's chest and abdomen seem to be affected. This means that although the tumor and affected area seems large, the cancer appears to be contained within the abdomen. Great news!

We will let you all know when we get the final diagnosis later this week.

Thank you again for all of your kindnesses, thoughts and prayers.

Best Regards and Love,

Greg and Leslie